The First Apostle
by Elluviel
Summary: From the deserts of Egypt to the plains of Galilee, she has never left his side. For all her life, no one spoke to her but him. He is her best friend, and she is the only person who stood with him during the entire last few agonizing hours of his life. She carries a secret that no one but he knows about, not even her. The only way for her to know is if he left the world forever.
1. Chapter 1: Anticipation

**Shalom!**

 **I believe the idea for this tale was given to me by my Father, to share with all the world. Not quite all the world here, but I hope you'll be touched or at least enjoy it. :)**

 **Happy Reading!**

 **Elluviel**

 **Edit: This is NOT a romance or anything near one, just to clear up the understanding of a reviewer. :)**

* * *

The man's sweat glistened in the faint moonlight as he tossed and turned in his bed, his facial features writhing from the intensity of his dreams.

He heard chilling shrieks of infants, wailing of women, and saw the ruthless plunge of the spear into young flesh. Flashes of babies ripped from their mother's arms as they were slaughtered. The thundering voice of King Herod, _Kill every male infant in Bethlehem,_ rung in his ears.

Then the scene changed. It was the dead of night, in the middle of endless desert. A donkey, led at an impossible pace by a man whose face was set in determination. A woman rode on it, her face twisted in anguish as she held a two-year-old son in her arms.

"How many mothers will not have a son tonight? Because of us."

The father glanced back. "Do not worry. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

She swallowed as she held her son closer. "Where will we go? Egypt is a foreign country. We will be lost, with nowhere to find rest, and the danger…"

The father pursed his lips, but both he and the mother were startled when their child suddenly announced, "Trust in God. He will provide. We will be safe."

As they stared at him in disbelief, the child, it seemed, stared straight at the man. A voice rippled through his dreams. _Await this family at the eastern gate of the city. Be there every day until they arrive._

* * *

Josiah sat up straight with a gasp, panting heavily. He glanced at the bed next to him, and slowly sunk into his sheets when he saw Judith was still sleeping peacefully.

His dream could only mean one thing. The voice he heard was the voice of God, a clear message that he was to take this family, apparently an important one, into his home until it was safe for them to leave.

The next morning, as Josiah prepared food for the day, his neighbor Amos peeked in on the way to the fields.

"Going on a trip, Josiah? Can't see how you can afford it, this being the high season for carpentry. You know, rods and yokes and stuff?"

Josiah kept quietly wrapping up pieces of bread.

"Well, where're you going?"

"I am going to the city walls."

Amos raised an eyebrow. "To do what?"

"To wait for a family."

"Oh, some relatives?"

Josiah shrugged. "I don't know."

The neighbor crossed his arms. "You're going to waste a day of work to wait for a family that you don't know."

"Yes. I had a dream from God to tell me to wait until they arrive here."

" _Until_ they arrive? Were they Jewish?"

Josiah shrugged again. "I think so. All I know is that they're coming from Bethlehem."

" _Bethlehem?_ Do you have any idea how long it takes to travel from Bethlehem to Alexandria? Weeks at least!"

Josiah tied the cloth around the bread tightly, glaring at him sharply. "I will wait until they arrive." He suddenly had an idea, and his eyes twinkled as he announced, "I must trust in God. He will provide."

"You're crazy!" Amos declared.

Josiah smiled. "Thank you. Now don't you have your flocks to watch over?"

He scooped his little girl into his arms and stared at Amos pointedly until he left. Josiah picked up the basket of food and lifted Judith onto his shoulders.

"We're going to the outskirts of the city to wait for a family. Won't that be fun? They have a son about your age."

But day after day, as Josiah strained his eyes into the desert sands to catch a glimpse of a man or a donkey, he saw nothing.

"Still wasting your time?" his neighbor would say every morning.

"That dream was from God, and I would be a fool to ignore him," he would reply.

Amos would snort. "Fine, fine, dreamer."

"Joseph's brothers said the same to him before he became Potiphar's righthand official."

But after a fortnight, even Josiah began to doubt himself. His savings had begun to run out. He would need to start working soon. Would the family ever come?

"One more day, Judith," he told his daughter as he put her to bed. "Then I'm going to resume working."

Still, after the day went by and nothing happened, his heart wasn't easy. If the dream really _was_ from God and he disobeyed it, woe to him! But the little boy's innocent voice kept echoing in his head.

"Trust in God. He will provide."

" _Still_ wasting your time?" Amos asked in disbelief. "It's been more than two weeks! You've got to get working, Josiah!"

He pursed his lips. "Something tells me that I can't stop. I have to trust in God to take care of us."

"God helps those who helps themselves."

"He also helps those who obey him," Josiah retorted. "I'm going to wait at the city outskirts until the family comes, and it's final."

" _If_ the family comes."

"Would you please stay out of this if you're not going to help?"

"I _can_ help," Amos argued. "It's not healthy for a young girl to stay in the sun and dust all day. My wife can watch her."

Josiah exhaled with relief. "You're too kind. Yes, please, thank you."

Amos smiled. "Well, what are neighbors for?"

But day after day passed with no sign of the family. Josiah prayed desperately every moment of the day for God to at least provide him with money for food and taxes, but none came. He slept fitfully every night and lived with constant worry until Amos declared, "Why, Josiah, I do believe you are getting yourself ill! What do you eat every day?"

He waved a hand. "I'm fine, really."

"Do you call pealing, burnt skin and a gaunt figure fine? You're suffering from too much time in the sun with not enough cover, food, and water. Even a simple shepherd like me knows that."

Josiah set his face like flint. "I _must_ obey the Lord at whatever cost to me."

"What about Judith? If you die there will be no one left to take care of her."

"You, perhaps?"

Amos threw his hands up. "I'm working hard to provide for my own family, Josiah! I'm barely scraping by. You were doing well for yourself and your daughter when you were working, but now…" He shook his head. "You're going to kill yourself! I'm serious."

Josiah crossed his arms. "If I die, I die. God has a reason for everything."

"Josiah! There comes a point when extreme faith is foolish! How do you expect to take care of the family – if they ever come – when you are practically dying and you barely have any money left?"

"God."

"Oh, that's enough!"

That night, Josiah wept into his bed. "God, show me what I'm supposed to do," he fervently prayed. "Show me, oh Lord. I myself can do nothing, but you can fulfill the impossible. What am I to do?"

He jumped as he felt Judith crawl into bed next to him. She didn't say anything, but simply smiled, an innocent disk of joy.

Josiah sighed, stroking her head. "If only your mother had survived giving birth to you," he murmured. "She would give me advice."

The next morning, he looked to prepare food for the day, but found nothing. He had run out of food, and after a quick search, had reached the last of his money.

Amos shook his head. "My wife can feed Judith for a day, but beyond that…Josiah, you have serious problems."

He stared at him stolidly. "Pray for me. Pray for the family. Can you do this?"

His neighbor blinked. "O-of course. You will be in my prayers always."

So it was that Josiah found himself at the eastern outskirts of Alexandria, the same place he always went to. He settled himself in the sands, prepared for another long day of watching, when his eyes suddenly picked up a dark outline of a man.

Josiah leapt to his feet, and peered forward excitedly. As they slowly plodded closer, he nearly danced for joy. Yes, there was the man! Yes, the donkey, the woman, the child in her lap!

He ran as fast as his old, worn out body could take him, until he arrived panting and sweating to the family.

The man raised his staff threateningly, but Josiah shook his head as he exclaimed, "No, no! I bring you no harm! I am Josiah! I was sent by God in a dream to provide a place for you here in Egypt! You will be safe from Herod!"

The man widened his eyes, but the woman slid down from the donkey and embraced him, weeping. "Thank God! I do not know how you would know that except by the Lord's will. Bless you, Josiah! Bless you!"

After a moment's greeting, the woman dipped head. "I am Mary. This is my husband Joseph, and our son Jesus."

The boy smiled. "I told you that God would provide!"

Joseph ruffled his curly head. "Yes, you did."

Josiah held the donkey's rope. "Come, come! The sun is hot. We will go straight to my house."

Soon, he ushered the family inside. "I am a poor man, you see, with not a scrap of food or money. But I have shelter, and that is all I can give you."

Joseph thanked him warmly. "We have simple needs. But, you see, we have some money. Enough for the four of us for a few months or so."

Josiah widened his eyes. "A few _months_?"

Mary laughed. "Yes, God has been good." She looked fondly toward her son.

"I hope that an additional person will not be too much of a burden?"

Joseph blinked. "Oh, of course, your wife –"

"No, my wife has passed on. The fifth person is my daughter." He quickly brought over Judith, who immediately wiggled out of his arms and ran to Jesus.

The parents smiled. "Such a beautiful girl! And now Jesus will have a friend. You do not know how indebted we are to you, Josiah."

He smiled back. "No debt is necessary. I give you lodging, you provide money for food. We will be family."

The five of them lived in simple happiness for a few days until one morning Josiah woke up with agonizing pain.

His screams awoke Mary and Joseph, who were at his side in minutes.

"Josiah?"

"Gaaaah!"

They exchanged glances, but looked behind as Amos rushed in, groaning at the sight of his friend. "He should have listened to me! I fear it is too late!"

"It's never too late," Mary firmly declared. "What is wrong with him?"

"Sun. He waited in the desert sun for you for weeks."

"For _us_?"

"I'm surprised he didn't feel the pain sooner. We must get water!"

"A physician?" Joseph suggested.

The neighbor nodded. "I will try to find one."

But though they bathed his red, blistered skin in what water they could get, Josiah still writhed and screamed.

"Can you hear me?" Mary cried anxiously.

He couldn't, and soon he stopped screaming.

"Where is that man?" she yelled. "We need a physician!"

"N-no, we don't," Joseph realized with horror.

Mary looked to Josiah, and swallowed back her tears. The man was no longer moving, and his horribly chapped face was rested in a look of peace and utter fulfillment.

Amos returned, out of breath. "I finally found…one. Oh no."

* * *

Mary could not sleep that night. She turned, and groaned, and turned again until Joseph laid a hand on her shoulder. "Mary, if you need to talk, I am here."

She wiped her face. "I don't understand, Joseph! Why would God allow such things? First the babies in Bethlehem. And now this righteous man who was following _his_ commands! Why let his servant die?"

Joseph pursed his lips. "We cannot know why the Lord does what he does."

Mary exhaled. "Well, at least one thing is clear. We must take the child Judith with us."

Joseph started. "What? Judith? Why?"

"Amos clearly cannot raise her. He has his children to take care of. We have the means to make sure Judith has a happy life. She will have Jesus as a companion. And I will teach them both the scriptures."

"But really, Mary, do you think-"

"I have decided." And she fell asleep right away.

* * *

A few weeks later, an angel of the Lord told Joseph in dream that it was safe to return home. Amos inherited Josiah's house, and Mary and Joseph took Judith with them. They were finally able to settle in Nazareth, but Mary never forgot the words of the man Simeon in the temple.

"Behold, this child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."


	2. Chapter 2: Our Childhood

**_Two years later…_**

"No one wants to play with me and I don't know why," I complained to Jesus one afternoon. "They tried to, at first, but then suddenly gave me strange looks and wouldn't let me near them. Why does no one want to play with me?"

" _I_ want to play with you," he pointed out.

"So? It doesn't explain why everyone else doesn't want to."

Jesus raised an eyebrow. "Am I not enough?"

I crossed my arms. "Why don't they like me? That's my question. You seem to know a lot of things."

Jesus grinned. "But I don't know _everything_.

I pouted. "They still don't like me. What did I do?"

Jesus shrugged. "Sometimes you might do nothing wrong, but people still won't like you. They judge too quickly before they actually get to know you." He smiled. "But I don't, and that's why _I_ like you."

I blinked. "Are you sure you're my age? Four?"

"Almost five," he corrected. "But yes."

"How come everyone likes _you_?"

Jesus shook his head. "Not everyone. Lots of boys hate me."

"Why?"

Jesus shrugged. "I don't know."

I widened my eyes. I had found out in the short time that I lived with him that there were very few things that he didn't know.

"You don't?"

He grinned. "But I have a good guess. Guessing, you realize, is not knowing."

"I don't like those boys or girls who hate us."

Jesus shook his head, but smiled kindly. "Now we can't do that, can we? Then we'll be just like them. Hating."

I frowned. "Then what are we supposed to do? Like them? I can't like mean people!"

Jesus laughed. "No, no, of course not. But we must forgive them."

"Forgive? Why? Then they'll just get away with it!"

Jesus shook his head. "No, they won't. God will take care of them. But forgiving others will just help us. We won't have anger and bitterness trapped inside of us. We will just let it go."

I leaned back, thinking about this. "I think you're right," I finally decided. "And if we do not forgive, we would spread hate, and we would just as mean as they are."

Jesus smiled. "You know a lot of things too, Judith."

* * *

 ** _Eight years later…_**

The time for the Feast of the Passover drew near, and we travelled to Jerusalem like we did every year. But when the feast had ended and preparations were being made to return to Nazareth, I suddenly found myself alone amidst the crowds in the great, bustling city. Had not Mary and Joseph been just ahead of me a minute ago? Had not Jesus held my hand the whole way? But I realized with a thudding horror that I knew no one that I could see.

A rush of blood clouded by head, and I stumbled through the heat of the crowds, pushed along by the swarming hoards. There was shouting of sellers, baying of goats, chatter of people. I started to panic among the chaos. How was I, a small girl, supposed to get out of it?

Finally, I saw a break, and jumped with all my might towards a small alley that led off from the main road. I was then able to slow my breathing, watching with senseless eyes the sweltering markets and shops in front of me.

When I was calm enough to think, my first thought was to find Jesus. He would know how to find Mary and Joseph. But where would he be in such a massive city as Jerusalem? I thought hard, and just as I lit upon the answer, I heard a man shout at me.

I jumped, startled, and whirled around, staring at the angry vendor with wide, fearful eyes.

He kept on shouting as I took a step back, and when he stepped forward, bristling with fury, I quickly turned around and slipped into the crowds.

It was much easier to navigate now that I had a destination in mind, and I cut through the masses as swiftly and unnoticed as anyone could possibly go. I was breathless and sweating by the time I reached the temple, but all of it was forgotten when I saw Jesus, sitting on the steps amidst the teachers. For a minute I feared he had gotten himself into trouble, but Jesus never got in trouble, and he hadn't this time. No, he was listening to them and asking questions, and it was clear they, and all who could hear him, were amazed at his understanding.

I watched for hours, intrigued and in awe of my closest friend. How wise he was! Yet he had received no high education like those teachers of the law. I was convinced that he was the Son of God.

I watched and listened for three days. When I grew hungry, I would go out and beg for food, of which I, a poor young girl, received as much as I needed. Jesus, it seemed, never grew hungry, and only joined me as night fell, to sleep in front of the temple walls. During the day we walked back inside where he conversed with the teachers, and I listened.

On some occasions I had known him to communicate with me just in thoughts, but while Jesus was with the teachers, he never spoke to me.

That changed on the afternoon of the third day. I heard his voice as clear as day in my head. _Find my parents. They are searching for us. You will find them on the main street outside the temple._

I blinked, startled for a moment, but when I saw him turn slightly towards me, and when he held my gaze for a moment with his wise brown eyes, I knew what I had to do.

I got up and left the temple, walking with a purpose. I trusted Jesus entirely. If he said Mary and Joseph were on that street, then they were. There was no doubt.

So I wasn't surprised when I found them a few minutes later gesturing frantically at a few fruit sellers. The minute they saw me they rushed to me, nearly in tears.

I smiled. "There's nothing to be worried about! Come, Jesus is nearby."

They looked puzzled, and exchanged glances, but I didn't see why they hesitated.

I pulled Mary's hand. "Come on! He's in the temple!"

They followed after me quickly, and when we reached the gates, Jesus stood, excused himself, and walked over to us.

He smiled at me. "You found them."

I shrugged. "It was easy."

Jesus turned back toward Mary and Joseph, and asked, "Why did you search for me? Did you not know I must be in my Father's house?"

They blinked, and looked bewildered, especially Joseph. Jesus glanced at me. "You understand, don't you Judith?"

I nodded slowly. "The temple is…God's house. So that must mean God is your father."

Jesus smiled. "When we got separated in the crowds, it was the first place I went to. I knew you would look for me here, and I thought my parents would too, but…" He shook his head. "I suppose not."

* * *

 ** _Two years later…_**

"Jesus? Jesus! Jesus!" I hurried through the town, calling his name frantically. Where was he? Not in the carpenter shed. Not in the house. And apparently, not anywhere in the town.

I reached the outskirts in despair, twirling around desperately for a clue, when I suddenly narrowed in on a crowd of children out in the distant fields. Maybe…

I ran as fast as I could to the group, and I widened my eyes at the sight. Jesus was in the middle of a circle of older boys, all taller and bigger than him. They were participating in a one-sided argument, and I realized with horror that it might turn into a fight.

I gasped as they suddenly punched Jesus in the stomach, but my friend only stared at them, somewhat boldly. It quickly turned into a one-sided fight.

I cupped a hand to my mouth as they knocked him to the ground, over and over, but every time, he rose to his feet with the dignity of a king and looked them straight in the eye.

It got to a point where I rushed forward, ready to tackle the boys to the ground with no fear of whether I would get hurt, but I heard in my head that clear voice of Jesus.

 _Don't, Judith,_ he urged me. _If you fight, or if I fight back, the fighting will just continue, and everyone will get hurt. At least this way I am the only one who will get hurt._

 _But-_

 _Don't._ His voice was stern, and I took a fearful step back. What if they hurt him so badly he never got up again?

But they didn't. Eventually, the oldest boy huffed, and marched away with his friends. The crowd of onlookers died away, and I ran to help Jesus stand.

"How dare they do this to you! Why did they do it?"

He managed a smile. "They said I was perfect, and for some reason that made them angry."

"But why did they have to hurt you?"

Jesus wiped some blood from his forehead. "The Scriptures say, 'If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.' I gave one of those boys a staff I made because he lost his, and he hated me for it. I heaped coals of fire on his head."

I wiped his face with some cloth. "But are we to just sit there like a, a brick and have people hurt us?"

Jesus shook his head. "Sometimes it is necessary to fight back. But in this case, it would have not helped anything, and would have caused more people to be hurt, and for anger and hatred to spread. We want to spread love."

I pursed my lips. "It's a hard thing to do, for your enemies."

Jesus shrugged. "But it proves you are stronger than they are."

 _Two years later…_

I stumbled home from the well one day crying, and as soon as I placed the jug of water on the table, I ran as quickly as I could to the carpenter's shed. Jesus was finishing up a yoke, but he stopped when he saw me.

"Judith, what's wrong?"

I sobbed, and held up a piece of wood. He took it, and frowned as he read the etchings.

 _Stay away from us, Greek girl._

Jesus raised an eyebrow. "Greek girl?"

I nodded, tears streaming. "T-the Greeks are mean. They went everywhere conquering. Just like the Romans! They're saying I'm a Roman!"

I burst into fresh sobs, but Jesus held my hands. "Look at me, Judith. Look at me."

I sniffled, and gradually did so. His kind, tender brown eyes met mine.

"They said you were Greek, they never said you were Roman. The Greeks did many good things, like inventing important things to make life easier."

I swallowed, wiping my face as I slowly stopped crying. "But why did they call me Greek Girl in the first place?"

Jesus frowned, and called to Joseph, "Can I please take a few minutes break to have a serious talk with Judith? I'll come back right away and finish up all my work."

Joseph was busy under some structure, but apparently he allowed a break, for Jesus wiped his hands on a cloth and took me to our favourite spot to talk, under a sycamore tree outside the town.

I loved the peacefulness of the plains, soft grass with baaing sheep and gentle shepherds. It soothed me, especially with Jesus nearby.

All of my tears had been wiped away by the time we sat down, and Jesus assumed his most serious face.

"You know the story of your birth, do you not?"

I nodded. "I was born in Alexandria, and I was an orphan, and Mary and Joseph took me to Nazareth and raised me. But I don't know much else."

Jesus pursed his lips. "You were not exactly an orphan, at least when we first met. You were two years old, and your father was still alive. He met us on our flight from Bethlehem, where I was born, and he gave us shelter. Do you remember?"

I frowned, shaking my head. "That was fourteen years ago. Of course I don't."

Jesus leaned forward, holding my hands. "Think hard, Judith. Hard."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Vaguely, I heard screams and anxious cries. I opened my eyes. "Only screams. Nothing else."

Jesus pursed his lips. "Those screams were the last thing your father ever said."

I frowned. "How did he die?"

"He stayed for too long in the hot sun, waiting for me and my family. God told him to do so in a dream."

I widened my eyes. "God _killed_ him? God killed my father?"

Jesus shook his head. "Not directly."

Tears started to form again. "Why? Why would he do that?"

Jesus took a deep breath. "I can't claim to know-"

"But you're his _son_ , aren't you? You're the Son of God! You said as much in the temple, remember, when we were twelve? You said you had to be in your Father's house! So you have to know why God killed my father!"

Jesus touched my shoulder soothingly. "I don't know why, Judith. Just because he is my father does not mean he tells me everything. But I can think of a few reasons."

I frowned, sniffing up my tears. "W-why?"

"If your father hadn't died, Mary and Joseph wouldn't have taken you with me. You would have never known me, and maybe you wouldn't have a friend in Alexandria for the same reason that I am your only friend here. Your father might have died anyways. You might have had a miserable life, alone. Maybe God saw that, and gave you me to be your friend."

"But he _killed_ my father!" I protested.

Jesus shook his head. "Death is not necessarily a bad thing, Judith. Maybe God took him to a special place, where he wouldn't suffer anymore."

"Suffer?"

Jesus paused. "Yes. He suffered terribly ever since your mother died."

I frowned. "How did she die?"

"Childbirth."

I leaned back, letting it sink in. Something Jesus said made sense. My father's death might have been much, much better than if he had lived.

I looked up at Jesus, who was watching me quietly. "How do you know all this about my parents? You were only two as well."

Jesus shrugged. "My Father doesn't tell me everything, but he tells me _some_ things."

I bit my lip. "Back to why they called me Greek Girl."

Jesus nodded. "Your mother was a Greek Jew. There were many in Alexandria. You may have noticed your skin is fairer and your hair is lighter and your eyes are dark green."

"Like a demon," I agreed miserably.

Jesus smiled. "No, like the leaves of a tree. You are beautiful, Judith, and if the others don't agree it's because they are jealous. Your skin is like olives, your hair like their branches, and your eyes like the leaves. You're special. Everyone else has brown hair and eyes."

I crossed my arms, suddenly landing on a thought I had been pondering on for a long time. "Well if I'm so beautiful and special, why haven't I been betrothed to anyone yet? I'm sixteen already and I'm losing hope. What is my future to be if I never get married? I won't have anyone to take care of me!"

Jesus smiled knowingly. "I'll take care of you, Judith. Don't worry. If you never get married, you'll always have me. Now."

He stood, and offered me a hand up. "I need to finish that yoke, but you go home and help Mary with dinner. If anyone calls you Greek Girl again, take it as a compliment. And be thankful they don't hurt you in any other more painful way. Alright?"

I nodded, but suddenly frowned. "Wait, since Mary and Joseph are not my parents, that means you are not my brother!"

Jesus laughed. "Well, I may not be _your_ brother, but you are _my_ sister, and I'll leave it at that."

I smiled. "You must be very special if God went through all that effort to make sure _you_ were my only friend."

Jesus smiled back, but urged me, "Hurry, Judith, dinner needs to be prepared. I'm starving."

I laughed, and skipped back home to help make the meal, thanking God over and over for my one and only friend.


	3. Chapter 3: Baptism and Temptation

**_About fourteen years later…_**

I stared at Jesus, not able to believe what he just said. "Wait, let me get this right. You, the Son of God, want to go to your cousin John to be _baptized_? Shouldn't _you_ be the one baptizing _him_?"

Jesus was firm. "It is fitting to fulfil all righteousness."

I blinked in confusion, but I had grown to trust him even when his own parents didn't. And after growing up with him, I was, as far as I knew, the first to believe he was the Son of God. You do _not_ disobey the Son of God.

"Okay. So, when do we leave?"

Jesus smiled. "If only everyone were as trusting as you, Judith! We leave immediately."

* * *

I heard John before I saw him, and that was quite impressive considering the distance we still had to go to reach the banks of the Jordan.

"I indeed baptize you with water to repentance, but he who is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry, will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire!"

I glanced at Jesus. "Is that true?"

He only murmured, "The voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'"

I stopped short. "That's from Isaiah the prophet."

Jesus nodded. "And many other things about me. Come, Judith. Let's see my cousin."

John was not at all what I had expected. He stood in the middle of the Jordan dressed in camel hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His hair was long and unruly, and his skin tan and chapped from the sun. He appeared to be either crazy or passionate, and I was fixed on the latter when he suddenly stopped short and stared at us. Or rather, Jesus.

"Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

Jesus took off his head cloth and handed it and his staff to me. "Could you hold this for a moment?"

I took them without a word, and watched Jesus wade into the water.

John started protesting. "I need to be baptized by you, and are _you_ coming to _me_?"

"Permit it to be so now," Jesus replied, "for it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness."

The same answer he had given to me.

I watched, transfixed with the rest of the people on the shore, as Jesus was baptized, but I blinked in amazement. When he came up from the water, the skies opened up above him, and a dazzling light shone from above. My eyes widened as I saw a pure, white dove float down, its feathery wings flapping gently as it alighted on Jesus. I tell you, the very spirit of God was in that dove.

I jumped, startled, as voice sounded from heaven, a strong, powerful voice but full of kindness. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

If I hadn't been convinced beforehand that Jesus was the Son of God, I was right then and there.

After Jesus, I set down his things and went into the water to be baptized, together with a couple others. I was ducked into the water, and as I rose, washed from my sins with my repentance, nothing significant happened. Except I heard a voice in my head, the same one that had spoken just a moment earlier. The voice of God.

 _Though crippled in your physical body, you have been given a special gift, Judith daughter of Josiah, to converse directly with my son. Use this gift wisely._

I didn't understand. How was I crippled? But God did not answer me. At least, not until many years to come.

Jesus seemed very impatient, and that night after supper, as we sat by a fire, he told me what he was going to do next.

"My baptism is the start of my mission, Judith. I am the Son of God, but I am still a man. I need wisdom, and guidance from the Lord."

I frowned. "What do you plan to do?"

He looked me in the eye. "I am going into the desert, to pray. God is calling me there. I may not come back in a long time."

I nodded. "Well, I'm certainly not going to stop you. When are we going?"

Jesus pursed his lips. "I am going alone, Judith."

I stared at him. "A-alone? Then what am I to do? How am I to take care of myself?"

"You must trust in God to provide."

It was the hardest thing I'd ever done, but I obeyed him. The next morning, he allowed me to accompany him as far as the edge of the wilderness.

"I am sorry to leave you, but this must be done," he told me sincerely.

I nodded. "Do what God calls you to do."

Jesus smiled, and hugged me good-bye. "May God watch over you, Judith."

Then he started off.

I watched him go with a heavy heart until he disappeared beyond the horizon. Then I choked back tears. This was the first time I was separated from Jesus, and I wasn't sure if I could handle it.

I turned slowly, unsure of my path ahead of me, when I heard the voice of God in my head again.

 _Follow him and watch. This is your time too._

I blinked, wondering if he had really just said what I thought he had said.

 _Well, are you going or not?_

Then I took off into the desert with no hesitation, running at a dangerously fast speed.

It was no more than an hour before I realized, panting heavily, that I was utterly lost.

I twirled around frantically in a circle, then collapsed onto the ground on my knees.

"Oh, God," I prayed, "I trust in you. I don't have food, or water, and I need your help to survive."

There was no voice this time, no sign, but I slowly raised myself to my feet and started stumbling ahead. For I would surely die if I stayed in one place, but if I continued on, I might have a chance.

I wandered around in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights. I felt like my ancestors, only in my case, I had no Moses to guide me, and certainly no pillar of cloud by day or a pillar of fire by night. I always had a certain fear about the desert, for its heat and sun had killed my father. But I grew so weary and hungry and thirsty that I only thought of food and water.

I prayed constantly that I would find Jesus, or at least his footprints, but to no avail. It was as if the desert wind had purposely swept away any traces of my friend.

Still, I somehow managed to go on, one foot in front of the other. Though it was very hard, I trusted in God to take care of me. Maybe, like my father, he would allow me to die for some greater good. My spirits never grew low, and I felt, sometimes in the cold of night, a presence of a heavenly being beside me. It was not God, nor Jesus, but something else. Maybe an angel.

I heard that angel's voice sometimes. _Trust in the Lord,_ she would whisper. _This trial will test your faith and trust in Him._

And I would always imagine Jesus in front of me, his laughing eyes and friendly smile, since he was a child to a grown man. Strangely, that face always stayed quite the same.

But on the forty first day, something felt different. The angel was gone. I found it hard to imagine Jesus' face. The optimistic, happy spirit that I once had in spite of the circumstances began to wane. I felt weighed down, burdened, and for the first time, I fell onto the sand. No one was there to lift me up.

"God, please come," I pleaded. "Please send the angel back. She cheered up, gave me hope."

He didn't answer. I didn't dare cry for fear of losing water, but I wanted to nonetheless. Had God forsaken me?

"And yet you still believe in him," a voice suddenly broke into my thoughts.

I lifted my head in surprise, and saw a man dressed in black cloths standing next to a camel. He held a staff, and his camel looked weary and dusty, like they had been traveling for days. But the man's skin was pale, paler than I have ever seen, and his dark eyes glimmered like a rain cloud.

"W-who are you?" I managed through cracked lips. I didn't remember them being that dry, or my throat so hoarse, but I suddenly had a great need for water.

The man stepped forward, shaking his head. "You poor woman. What are you doing in a desert all alone, with no fresh, warm bread, or cold, smooth water, or a soft bed with silk blankets at night?"

My mouth had begun to water at the mention of food and water, and my aching body yearned for the bed. "G-God told me t-to follow J-Jesus."

The man smiled. "Hmm. Do you think your God is a kind, loving God?"

I managed a nod.

"Then why do you suppose he sent you out for forty days and nights with no shelter, no food, no water, and not even a map! How does he expect you to find Jesus? And of course he knew you would get lost. Did you send you out purposely to get lost?"

I was too tired to even ask him how he knew I had been in the desert for forty days. "T-Trust," was all I could say.

The man snorted. "Trust in a God who sends you out to be killed. No. One must trust in opportunity, what comes their way to survive. Tell you what. You seem like a nice, pretty, albeit misused young woman. You come along with me, and I'll give you the freshest water you have ever tasted to soothe your parched throat. It'll wash over your tongue like the wind on a warm day. Then I'll give you a thick slice of warm bread, slathered in the sweetest honey to fill your empty stomach. Then, while we travel to Egypt to pick up goods – I'm a merchant, you see – you can rest on my camel with clean, cool blankets and a nice cover to shield you from the sun's blistering rays. Hmm? All you have to do is take this flask, and you'll have the water and everything else right away."

He held out a flask, literally dripping with water. I knew it was full, and I imagined how refreshing it would be. All I had to do was take it, and he would take care of me, and even bring me to Egypt!

"Oh, I almost forgot to mention," the merchant added. "I know of a rich man in Egypt who has a son who would be just right for you. Very handsome and wealthy young man. I'm sure he would take a liking to a beautiful, intelligent woman like yourself."

The desire, I must admit, was a great one. I needed a husband, to take care of me, and a son to take care of me when I was old. A rich man would be perfect, and I would have no more worries about where to live or what work to do or how to find food.

"Well?" the man prodded. "Are you going to take the water or not? I have a long journey to make, and I'm sure I will come upon another young lady who will meet the description. If you won't accept it, I need to get going."

I struggled to lift my head, and the man leaned forward eagerly, but he held the flask just out of arm's reach. If I wanted it, I would have to make an effort to get it.

But as I extended my arm, the words of Jesus suddenly echoed in my head from fourteen years ago.

" _I'll take care of you, Judith. Don't worry. You'll always have me._ "

Hadn't he looked after me for all my life? Took care of my needs when even Mary and Joseph couldn't see them? And the Scriptures said that Jews must not marry Gentiles. That's what caused the Samaritans to exist in the first place.

How could I go against the Holy Scriptures? How could I disobey his Father who told me to find Jesus? How could I value this stranger over someone who loved me so much?

I leaned back against the sand. "N-no, I-I must have f-faith," I whispered hoarsely.

The man raised an eyebrow, and stuck the flask in his pocket. "That kind of spirit will get yourself killed." He shrugged. "Oh well. At least I tried."

The man took the rope from his camel and began walking away, but it was only a moment before he suddenly turned back.

"Oh, and Judith?" he called. "If you ever see Jesus again, ask him if he's hiding something from you. It's a curse that he's not telling you."

I frowned, and struggled to my feet. It only took a few minutes for me to stand, but when I did, the man and his camel were nowhere to be seen. No footprints, nothing.

 _That was strange_ , I thought.

But suddenly I was overwhelmed with a feeling of absolute peace, peace and joy. I was no longer exhausted, or hungry, or thirsty. I felt strong, healthy, and my legs were yearning to dance. It was as if I had been…born anew.

"You did well, Judith," a voice told me.

I whirled around to face it, and I saw, for the first time, the angel that had been watching over me. She didn't look very special, at least not how Mary described the angel Gabriel. She was dressed in a white robe with no head covering over her long brown hair, but her eyes shone with the light that only comes from one who has seen and known God. How did I know that? Jesus had the same light.

The angel smiled. "God will bless you, Judith. If you resist the devil, he will flee from you."

I widened my eyes. "That was the devil?"

The angel nodded slightly. "But beware. He prowls like a lion, waiting to devour you. If you let your guard down for one moment, he will come again to tempt you. Maybe not in the same shape or form, but he will come once more."

I was struck speechless, but she smiled again. "Now, however, is a time for joy! You have triumphed against the evil one. Behold, the one you have been searching for."

I turned back around, and I saw Jesus walking towards me, the same smile on his face that had kept me going during my journey. I turned to the angel to thank her, but she was gone. So, together with Jesus, I thanked God instead.

 **A/N: Sorry it took me awhile to update! I have to do more research than I thought, and this is something that _I_ don't write. God inspires me, and then I write (if you aren't Christian, you'll find that hard to believe...but trust me, it's true.) So I'd appreciate your prayers, and of course I'm very grateful for all of your support!**

 **I'll be out of town for a week, so probably no updating, but I'll post the next chapter as soon as I finish the research, and the writing. Thank you so much for reading!**

 **Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year everyone!**


	4. Chapter 4: Disciples and a Wedding

As we walked by the Sea of Galilee, I switched between gazing at the mesmerizing blue waters and the equally captivating presence of Jesus.

Something had happened to him in the desert. He wasn't the same person. He not just preached about new and foreign ideas and purposes, in front of the public, but he _felt_ different. His very atmosphere quivered with…power. Oh, yes. I was certain that he was destined for something momentous.

Still, for all his change, he offered no explanation but, "My Father is revealing to me his plan bit by bit."

"Is that why you preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand?'"

He smiled. "It is."

On that particular day, however, Jesus was quiet. I didn't mind, content to simply be in his company.

We walked for some time, when he suddenly stopped, staring out towards the sea. I frowned.

"What is it?" For nothing was amiss, save a couple of fishermen washing their nets.

Jesus suddenly called out, "Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people."

I watched with wide eyes as the two men, clearly brothers, left their nets and walked up to us. They bowed their heads to Jesus, ignoring me, but that was typical. I was a mere woman.

Jesus smiled to me. "Simon, and his brother Andrew. They will travel with us, as my disciples."

I blinked. "Disciples? You're a rabbi now?"

He laughed. "You can say that."

Not a word was said as we continued, evidently for more disciple-fetching. The next two were also brothers, James and John, and also fishermen, who similarly left their nets, but more strikingly, their father.

"Why do they leave him?" I asked Jesus. "For you?"

"Why do _you_ follow me, Judith?"

And that answered my question, for they must have felt his beckoning, powerful spirit like I did.

In addition to those four, as we travelled around and Jesus continued preaching, more and more disciples joined. I began to fear that my closeness to him and our friendship would suffer, but he assured me otherwise.

"I have so much love that I can give you more of it in addition to an equal amount for everyone else. Do not fear that I will forget you, Judith. You have a special place in my heart."

"Everyone does," I pouted. "You say that to nearly everyone."

"And do you fault me for it?"

I sighed. "I guess not."

Jesus smiled, patting me on the shoulder. "Come, we travel on to Cana. Nathanael's brother is getting married."

"I suppose he's one of your disciples?"

Jesus nodded. "One of the most loyal."

* * *

No one talked to me. Though I was used to being ignored, it made for an incredibly dull wedding celebration on my part. I was never very fond of dancing, so I was left to sit by Jesus' side and listen to _him_ talk to the numerous people who wanted to speak with him.

Which, it turned out when the feast was halfway over, included Mary. She pulled him aside, an urgent expression on her aged face.

"They have no wine," she whispered, looking at him pointedly. I wasn't surprised. There was an extraordinary number of guests, drinking a very festive amount of wine, which may have accounted for why they ignored such a boring woman like myself.

Jesus replied, "What does this have to do with me? My time has not yet come."

With that, he moved back to the table, and I followed, but not before I heard Mary order the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

We had sat down for just a few minutes when I saw a look of resolution wash over Jesus' face. He stood, going to a side room which contained six stone water jars. The servants waited expectantly.

"Fill the jars with water."

They obeyed his order, filling them up to the very brim.

"Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast."

The rest of his disciples and I stared at him in bewilderment, but the obliging servants went about his command. As they poured a cupful, I widened my eyes as rich, red wine flowed into the cup. A servant dutifully carried the cup to the master, who sipped it slowly.

A grin broke out, and he called the bridegroom over with a jubilant expression. "Most people serve the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now! This is the best I have ever tasted!"

The bridegroom nodded slowly in confusion, but the rest of us gazed at Jesus in awe.

"How did you do it?" I asked.

He smiled. "I _didn't_ do it. My Father did it. Right when they poured the water, I thought out a little prayer. He answered just as I knew he would."

This first miracle of his only strengthened my belief that he was, truly, the Son of God. And it seemed apparent that the rest of the disciples also began to see him for who he really was.

 **A/N: My goodness, it's almost March! The Spring Semester has kept me quite busy, and it's likely to get more 'thrilling', so I have devised a method to keep the chapters more frequent: making them shorter! Perhaps one chapter for a miracle or two.**

 **Thank you for sticking with me, and may God bless your day! :)**


	5. Chapter 5: The Woman at the Well

After our time in Capernaum, Jesus decided to go back to Galilee, but before then, we had to pass through Samaria. It was about noon when we arrived on the outskirts of the city, and, much wearied from travel, the disciples left to buy food. Jesus rested near a well, and I waited with him, since the disciples clearly didn't need my assistance in purchasing food items.

It was the first time since the desert that I had been utterly alone with him, and I took it as a chance to question him about what the black-cloaked man – the devil – had told me.

"Remember the desert? The, um, temptation? And the man?"

Jesus had been gazing in the distance expectantly, but he turned to me at the sound of my voice. "Yes, of course, Judith. What about it?"

I bit my lip. "He, uh, told me to ask you something. If you're, um, hiding something from me? He said it's a…"

Jesus raised an eyebrow. "A what?"

"A curse."

His eyes immediately darkened, boring into mine, a look of sharpness and intensity. "Judith, do you know who that man was?"

I nodded. "He was the devil."

"Yes. He was no man. He was the greatest tempter. The Father of lies. Every word he breathes is a lie, or part of one. His half-truths are treacherous, and you must not fall for them."

I frowned. "I know, but what does that have to do with you hiding something from me? _Are_ you hiding something from me?"

Jesus stared at me, for so long without speaking that I began to feel afraid. Finally, he spoke.

"I am. But-" he added in response to my recoiled body and look of accusation, "- it is not a curse. In fact, it's the complete opposite. It's a blessing."

I didn't understand. "Then why won't you tell me?"

Jesus gazed at me, in tender love. "Judith, I _will_ tell you. Just not right now. One day, when my Father deems it right, you will know. But until then, you must trust that he has your best interests in his plan. Do not let the evil one's lies bring you away from him. From me."

The look he gave me threw me over the edge. I couldn't help it. I tossed my arms over his shoulder and gave him a tight hug. For some reason, he had morphed from a brother-like person into a…father-like person. My master. My Lord. My God. Of course I trusted him.

A feeling of gratitude washed over me as I grasped onto his tunic tightly, feeling like a little girl in the soothing, protective arms of the father I never had. How many people might yearn to be as close to him as I was? To have lived and walked with him all my life?

Just then, a woman approached the well, and I quickly withdrew myself. People never seemed to like me, or want to approach me and talk, so I tended to avoid them as well. Besides, this was a Samaritan. Jewish people simply do not associate with them.

But while I stood at a considerable distance, Jesus hadn't budged. As the woman set her jar down, Jesus asked, "Will you give me a drink?"

She appeared as startled as I was. "Y-you are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?"

Jesus responded in one of his queer phrases that always went against common sense.

"If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

The woman looked at him sceptically. "You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?"

Jesus smiled kindly. "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

The woman was impressed. "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water!"

"Go, call your husband and come back."

She faltered. "I…have no husband."

"You're right," Jesus replied. "You've had five, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you just said is quite true."

The woman blinked. "I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

Jesus shook his head. "Believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth."

The woman stared at him, clearly not understanding. I had heard many similar speeches, of which Jesus had patiently explained, and even I was confused.

Finally, she decided to say, "I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

"I, the one speaking to you – I am he."

Just then, the disciples returned, all of them surprised and whispering among themselves to find him talking with a woman, who left her jar and hurried back toward the town.

Offering some bread and fish, the disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."

"I have food to eat that you know nothing about."

I frowned. No one had brought him any food, since I had been with him the whole time. Could it be like the 'water' he claimed to have?

"My food," he continued, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don't you have a saying, 'It's still four months until harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."

Fortunately, after this confusing dialogue, he accepted the food, and then attended to the flocks of Samaritan people who had, according to the woman's testimony, flooded out to see him. Many believed, and we stayed there for two days.

But I was glad when we finally left for Galilee. For home. And I had great hopes of what Jesus may be able to accomplish, because if so many Samaritans had believed in his words, how many more Galileans might believe?

 **A/N: So the order of miracles and stuff may not be exactly in order, but I'm doing my best to make it as historically accurate as possible, and including everything. Thanks for reading!**


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